


Aching Chest Bleeding Heart

by dumdumbrendon



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Autumn, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Fluff, M/M, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Protective Natasha Romanov, Science Bros, Sickfic, Steve Rogers Is A Mamas Boy, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-16
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2019-08-02 20:54:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16312532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dumdumbrendon/pseuds/dumdumbrendon
Summary: Bucky gets into Natasha’s car, cranking the heat as soon as the door is shut. She raises an eyebrow at him but doesn’t say anything, which he’s thankful for. He’s mentally exhausted from his two midterms, and while he won’t admit it, he’s thankful for Nat’s badgering. If he’d stayed home, he would have wallowed in loneliness.They discuss their tests as Nat drives, and finally Bucky lets the hot air back off when Nat looks like she’s going to die from heat stroke. He’s still cold.His eyes are slipping shut as they pull into the mall parking lot. He jerks himself awake and ignores the way his body protests as he gets out of the cozy vehicle. His whole body has this slightly achy heaviness to it, like if he lay down he wouldn’t be able to get back up. His throat’s sore, especially when he swallows. Deciding he probably just needs food and something to drink, he looks to Nat as they walk in.





	Aching Chest Bleeding Heart

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoy this fic. It is set in an AU time line where Steve and Bucky are in an established relationship, attending Amherst College. Bucky lost his arm in a car accident at 13. Steve is like his post-serum self, minus the serum. It dives deeper into Bucky's life, and shows how much of a people-pleaser he is, but is still very much a sickfic. Let me know how you like it!

> **October 16th.  
> **
> 
> Bucky’s sitting in the back room of Blackwell Books, the small bookstore right off campus, nestled in between the west entrance of Amherst and the small twenty four hour diner Steve loves so much. He’s promised to help Tony with his midterm project when he gets back to the apartment, so he’s trying to focus on his own homework assignments- trying being the key word. Steve’s texting him about a few of the, for lack of a better word, bratty as hell kids, in the class he’s TA’ing.
> 
> Yawning, Bucky tries to think about the rest of what needs to be done today. He’s got another four hours after his break ends, working and possibly being able to get his neurochemistry paper done if it’s slow. If the rain outside is any indication, then hopefully he’ll finish it quickly. He also needs to watch the video Nat sent over of her recital piece and then let her know what she can still work on. Plus he’s got to finish his paper for his Eastern European Film class, and he told Bruce he’d be there to help him for a science thing he’d wanted to test out.
> 
> What a long as hell day. Not to mention he needs to also grab Steve and make sure he eats, and make sure they both sleep at least a little. Jesus. His alarm on his phone quietly goes off and he rubs his eyes, tying his hair back up into its usual slightly messy bun, before standing and going back on the floor. Brainstorming everything will have to wait- now he’s being paid to help students find books.

By the time his shift is over at seven, he pulls on his jacket and grabs his backpack, feeling his pockets as always, checking to make sure he has his phone, wallet and keys. He can’t afford to lose any of those. He starts the small trek back onto campus, but not before picking up some sandwiches and soup for himself and his three roommates. They’ve all been working hard this semester, and now that everything is truly back in full swing, they all need a little pick me up. He gets four large cookies as an extra little treat.

Bucky walks past their small on campus apartment and towards the art building, wanting to see his boyfriend. They’re both in their junior year of undergrad, both have five more years of schooling, and usually it doesn’t seem as daunting as it does today. It may just be the fact it’s rainy and gloomy and the wind has started to pick up. Fall in Massachusetts is wonderful and something Bucky has always loved, and still does, but this year it’s started with lots of rain, and it’s put him in a weird mood. Gosh he wants Stevie.

Plus Halloween is in a couple of weeks, which means the annual Stark Halloween bash that Tony’s Dad funds for the school, and midterms are the week before. But at least fall break will give them a bit of downtime before classes pick back up again. He walks through the leaves and wet pavement, hood up so his already messy hair doesn’t get messier, and enters the arts building. The heaters have finally kicked in and it makes Bucky shiver. He unzips his jacket and shifts the bag of food to his left arm, his prosthetic able to carry the weight more easily.

Walking the all too familiar path, Bucky takes his time as he goes to the small corner of one of the halls, finding Steve sitting with a few other students, all doing their own thing in comfortable plush chairs. Steve’s sitting there with a sketchbook, looking warm and cuddly in his blue sweater and it makes Bucky smile and make a small noise to alert them all he’s entered.

A few others look up, and Steve smiles brightly, lighting up the room like the sun. “Come on, I have food, and you know how Tony gets when he’s hungry,” Bucky says softly, holding out his flesh hand. Steve puts his things in his own pack, shouldering it as he stands and takes Bucky’s hand.

“How was your day?” Bucky asks as they walk down the stairs. Steve shrugs, giving an ‘eh’ sort of noise.

“Was fine. Kind of long, and that class I help with was awful today, but I think it was the rain, you know? Everyone’s ready for the break..”

Bucky nods. He definitely could sympathize. Especially with freshman who weren’t used to college yet.

“Yeah, it’ll be here soon enough,” he swings their hands as they enter the large atrium. They’re almost to the glass doors when Darcy, one of their mutual friends, runs up and stops them.

“Hey! Bucky!”

Bucky turns and smiles, waving.

“Hey, is there any way at all I could have you help me with my German tomorrow? Professor Barr decided he’s giving the mid term Friday instead of Monday, and I need to brush up on my nouns…” she says, voice desperate.

“Of course Darce! Just let me know and I can come over, or meet you at the library or something,” he assures, not even thinking about it. He knows he’s not working tomorrow, and if he has to push back some of his own stuff, then fine. She obviously is frazzled and he doesn’t want to be the one to let her down.

“Really?! You’re the best Bucky!” She squeals, kissing his cheek before bouncing off. Steve laughs, kissing Bucky’s lips softly. “Always the people pleaser.”

“Yeah, yeah. Come on punk, or I won’t share my sandwich,” he jokes, pulling his jacket tighter as they step back outside.

The walk back to their apartment isn’t too exciting, and they manage to make it without another interruption. They walk the three flights of stairs and then down to 306. When they lock the door behind them, it’s warm and cozy and Bucky thinks Bruce lit one of those pumpkin candles he likes so much. He takes his jacket off, grabs Steve’s as well and hangs them in the closet.

Tony walks out from his room, too big T-shirt hanging off his shoulder, hair sticking up in all different directions. “Buckaroo! Cap! Glad to see you didn’t drown in the monsoon,” he laughs, going to the fridge for a bottled Starbucks coffee. They both roll their eyes in favor of the man’s antics, but it’s familiar and nice, in its own weird way.

“Nope, can’t get rid of us that easy, you know that,” Steve teases, setting down all the food Bucky’s been holding. He goes to grab plates and bowls, while his boyfriend takes his jacket off, fixes his hair and goes to find Bruce.

Knocking quietly, he smiles at the other man, when the door opens. “Oh hey Bucky,” Bruce smiles warmly. Warm is the best way to describe Bruce Banner. Just like Bucky, he’s kind and soft, gentle and patient. Steve likes to joke that they’re twins, or maybe even the same person.

“Hey, dinner’s here. I ran by the diner, got you your favorite,” he smiles back. Somehow, even two years into his friendship with Bruce, he still gives him butterflies in his stomach. Not romantic ones, but just like he needs to make sure Bruce knows he’s appreciated and loved to the fullest.

“Oh…thanks Bucky, that’s…I’ll get dinner tomorrow?” Bruce says with another shy smile that makes Bucky nod. “Course, now come on,” he leads them back to the kitchen, where Tony is sitting in his usual chair, barely awake, head almost hitting his coffee.

“Tony! Dinner’s ready,” Bucky coaxes. When that doesn’t work, he smirks and slams his hand down on the wood, which makes the dark haired man jump.

“I’m up!”

“Yeah now you are,” Bruce smirks, sitting down.

***************

**October 17th**

Bucky’s walking out of Tony’s room, laughing as Tony keeps thanking him, over and over.

“Really Roo, you have outdone yourself. You’re the  _best_ friend a guy could have. Consider you helping me with my project the final test. Yes I will marry you,” Tony gushes playfully.

“You may have to check with Steve on that one Tony,” he says fondly, grabbing his sweater from the couch, pulling it over his head. He’s about to go to Darcy’s, and then head from there to Nat’s favorite studio in the performing arts building so he can help with her recital piece. At least he’d gotten good sleep next to Steve last night.

He walks to Darcy’s dorm, admiring all the changing leaves and warm autumn colors. Fall has always been kind to him; even as a child he’d adored fall. He may not like the cold, but if it means getting to cuddle up with Steve, drink cocoa and listen to his guy read him books, then fall isn’t too bad.

Bucky gets buzzed in by the nice girl at the desk, waves and smiles as he walks by. She’s there most times he goes to visit Darcy or Wanda, and he thinks maybe next time he comes he can bring her a nice coffee or something. She’s got to get bored sitting there all day.

He walks to floor three, dorm room 9 and 10, and knocks gently. Wanda opens the door and grins, brown hair cascading down her shoulders in waves. He’s been friends with Wanda since last year, when she’d been paired up with him in their Russian Lit class. Then he’d found out Darcy was her roommate and it felt like the whole college really was much smaller than it felt.

“Hey Bucky! Darcy’s just finishing up making cookies,” she greets, letting Bucky in. He shivers a little at the temperature change, at how nice and warm it is in their tiny little space.

“Hey Wanda, hey Darce!” He smiles, setting his backpack down. He hugs them both, pushes a piece of hair behind his ear, and then leans against the wall, watching Darcy pull the cookies out of the oven.

“For me? You shouldn’t have,” he teases, earning giggles.

“Maybe once they’ve cooled off and you’ve worked with me through this German. I can’t seem to understand any of it. Fucking Barr can kiss my ass,” Darcy says, finishing off the sentence grumbling. Bucky just laughs and shakes his head.

“You got this. I know you do…”

It’s another hour and a half before he’s finally walking into the small dance studio that’s to the right of the large auditorium. Natasha is working on a pirouette when he walks in, the smoothe, classical music making her seem almost fairy like.

“You landed wrong,” he murmurs, making her glance up.

“I know, I wasn’t worrying about my landing James,” she presses back, twirling gracefully before walking over, hair messy.

“I brought you a bagel,” he offers a white flag. She considers for a moment, then takes it, only to set it by her bag.

“I’ve been doing this routine for nearly an hour and still feel like it looks like shit,” Natasha gripes, shaking her head. “Please help me, oh wise one.”

Only Bucky’s close friends know about his past, and even fewer know his childhood. As a kid, he grew up in ballet with his sister Becca. They were both amazing, and Bucky had shot through the ranks, finally coming into his own at seven years old, in a class full of fifteen year olds. When he’d gotten into the car accident right before his thirteenth birthday, it had ruined dancing. Ruined everything, for a while, at least.

“Think about posture, then think of the story you’re telling,” he says, restarting the music. He counts along with the beat, a habit more than anything, but he assumes it helps Natasha since she doesn’t roll her eyes like she usually does.

He stops her mid leap, putting his hands around her waist.

“Not so full, Nata. Think of the story. You may know the ending, but the audience won’t.”

She nods and wipes her face with her shirts, starting over. It goes on for nearly another two hours, half an hour at the end includes Bucky doing a few moves to show her how to perfect them. He’s only ever danced in front of Nat and Steve before, since losing his arm, and he’s grateful they both haven’t ever looked at him with pitying eyes. He’s not sure he’d be able to take it.

He gets a text as Natasha shuts off the music, so he takes his phone out and can’t help the smile that tugs on his lips.

**Steven** ❤️: Hey, I know you’ve been busy today! Hope you’ve been able to get stuff done. I finished my project! Bruce says it’s a masterpiece. Tony says it’s alright. Hope you’re coming home soon, miss you! Oh, also. Ma called. We’re still good to go up for fall break right?

Bucky suddenly remembers Steve asking him briefly about going up to Boston, only an hour or so away, for the long weekend of fall break. They’ll be going for Thanksgiving too, but Steve’s been missing his mom recently and Bucky will never turn down a trip to see Sarah Rogers.

**Bucky** : most of it yeah! I’m sure it looks perfect Stevie. I’ll be home in about forty minutes? Need to swing by the bookstore and give Leslie the book I borrowed, back. Of course! I’m always down for a trip. I should get done with my last midterm by three on that Friday. We can leave right after, unless you want to head up earlier?

He pockets his phone, presses a kiss to Natasha’s cheek, and then heads back out, pulling his sweater a little tighter when he realizes the temperature’s dropped since earlier.  Shivering, he suddenly wishes he’d bulked up more with Thor at the gym during the summer. Steve likes it when he’s tiny though, so he can’t really complain. And he doesn’t mind being the smaller of the two. He just wishes he held warmth longer than he did. Stupid body. Only one arm.

He huffs and treks down the road, and then across the street to Blackwells Books. When he gets in, Leslie, his sweet boss and the owner, greets him and then clicks her tongue.

“You should be dressed more appropriately James. You’ll catch your death out there with no jacket.”

Bucky blushes and roots around his backpack for the book on regenerative growth. “Sorry Leslie. I’ll bring out my warmer coat soon, I promise,” he smiles, handing her the worn, hard bound book. She squeezes his right shoulder and then smiles.

“Just remember to take care of yourself while you’re gallivanting all around campus.”

“Yes ma’am. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go see Steve,” he grins, earning a grin back.

When he gets back to the apartment, it’s getting to be dusk. His head’s a little sore from so much going on, but he ignores it in favor of a warm coffee with pumpkin creamer, and his history book. He’s got an eight page paper due by the end of the week and he’s not even started, he realizes, as he pulls up his notes on his laptop. Steve walks over and plops next to him on their couch, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“Hey handsome. Homework?” Steve asks, nuzzling his shoulder. Bucky nods, fighting a yawn. “Mhm. Eight pages due in two days. Need to get a move on,” he explains, starting to type. Steve presses another kiss to his cheek and then gets comfortable, holding one of his favorite nonfiction books from his nightstand. They go for a few hours, and Bucky manages to get five pages, all cited and sourced, before he’s too exhausted to keep his eyes open anymore. Steve looks up from his book and can’t help but smile.

Bucky’s got his head lolled to his right side, arm wrapped around his stomach. His eyes are closed and it’s clear he’s asleep, making small noises every so often. Steve feels himself pool into jello. He’s so lucky it hurts. He moves the laptop onto the coffee table.

Steve finally wakes Bucky around seven, knowing if he naps more he won’t be able to fall asleep.

“Hey Buck, sweetheart, time to wake up,” Steve murmurs, running fingers through his guy’s hair. Bucky wakes up, eyes opening, and smiles.

“You’re so handsome,” he mumbles, pressing his face into Steve’s shoulder, nuzzling his face into the soft fabric of Steve’s shirt. “Love you so much.”

“I love you too honey. Now come on, you can’t nap anymore or you’ll never fall asleep tonight. We need to go to the store to get stuff for dinner,” he suggests, working on sitting Bucky up more.

Bucky finally gets up, pulling on sweatpants and a striped long sleeve shirt. He grabs one of Steve’s, slightly too big sweaters, yanking it on too. His guy smiles and kisses his lips.

“You’re too cute, you know that?” He asks, nuzzling their noses together. Bucky nuzzles back and smiles shyly. “Nah, that’s you Rogers. Come on.”

*****************

“How about chicken tacos tomorrow?” Steve suggests as they browse the aisle of the Whole Foods next to campus.

“Mm, that sounds good. We need to get guacamole then, too. And you know Tony will come and steal some later,” Bucky says thoughtfully, while looking between two boxes of cereal, seeing which is healthier. He decides on Rice Krispies and puts the box into the cart, yawning.

“You still sleepy?” Steve laughs softly, coming up behind him and hugging him.

“Kinda. But break is next week,” he decides, leaning back against Steve’s solid frame before going to push the cart. Steve follows, not letting go.

“Stevie,” Bucky laughs, but doesn’t try to get him off. Steve follows Bucky around for half the trip, holding him close as they walk. By the time they’re checking out, Steve takes the bags, letting his guy put the cart up.

“Wanna rent a movie?” He asks as they pass the Redbox. Bucky hums thoughtfully and then bites his lip.

“I still have to finish that paper…I guess we can? Or we can do it tomorrow?”

Steve nods. “Tomorrow is fine babe. Let’s get home, I’m starving.”

**********

**October 19th**

Bucky wakes up to a sudden noise. Eyes opening, the first thing he notices, is that his head is throbbing. The second thing is Tony, standing across from him, book on the ground.

“Jesus Bucky! You scared the shit out of me. Why are you still out here? Did Steve kick you out of your room?”

Bucky blinks tiredly and looks around. Oh. He’s on the couch.

“Sorry, no. I was working on my paper,” he clears his throat and rubs his eyes, the headache still pulsing in his temple. “Must have fallen asleep. What time is it?”

Tony looks skeptical but sighs. “5 am. Go to bed,” He squawks, shooing his best friend away from the couch. Bucky gets up and goes to his and Steve’s room. He knows he has to be up at seven for his eight am class, but he’s so tired, and keeping his eyes open only makes his head hurt worse. An hour of sleep won’t hurt.

When he wakes up again, his head still hurts, but not as bad as it had earlier. He looks at the clock and realizes it’s seven thirty. Cussing, he jumps up and throws jeans and a sweater on.

“Babe what’s goin’ on?” Steve asks, half awake and confused.

“Slept late, sorry! I’ll see you later!” Bucky calls, already grabbing his bag and heading to the kitchen. He grabs a water bottle but nothing else before taking off, not wanting to be late.

He gets into class with two minutes to spare. His cheeks and nose are red from the cold air outside, and his hair is a mess. By the time he’s sitting in his seat, his temple gives a harsh throb and Bucky wishes he’d grabbed Tylenol on the way out. He sees Darcy walk in and he waves at her.

“Hey Bucky,” She says quietly, dropping down next to him. She coughs tiredly into her arm, resting her eyes shut after.

“You alright?” He asks worriedly, noting her pale skin. She shrugs, giving another small cough.

“Kinda feel like shit, but what can you do? We have midterms next week. Can’t afford to miss class,” she explains. Their professor walks in and Bucky works on figuring out how to get Darcy back to her dorm. He’s got to help Bruce with his project, like he’d promised, but maybe he can ask to push it back a few minutes so he can walk Darcy back. He shoots his roommate a text asking if they can delay twenty minutes, and then listens to their professor start talking.

Bruce is fine with delaying, and by the time the lecture is over, Darcy looks ready to drop. He gives her his jacket and walks her back, not minding she’s slow to move today, only worrying that she’ll be okay on her own until Wanda gets back from her own class.

He gets her some water and checks her temperature, texts Wanda to tell her Darcy is sick, makes sure she’s okay on her own, and then makes his way to Bruce’s part of the chem lab across campus.

“Hey, I’m here, sorry. I had to make sure Darcy got to her place okay. She’s really sick,” he explains as he sits his stuff down and then sits next to him. Bruce is working on something far too complicated for him to try and understand, but he knows he needs someone to help count seconds and make sure he doesn’t blow himself up. So, Bucky’s here and ready to help his friend.

“Oh, we could have rescheduled. Though, it seems like most people are starting to get sick,” Bruce says, half focused on the liquids he’s pouring together. Bucky grimaces. He’s always been pretty healthy, though occasionally will suffer from a migraine due to the concussion he got as a kid from the car crash. Even Steve, who gets sick more often than he does, is still rarely sick. He’s just grateful neither them nor Bruce or Tony are sick. He doesn’t want to bring that into the apartment.

Bucky gets caught up with Bruce, then goes back by to check on Darcy again. He texts Steve that chicken tacos may have to wait until tomorrow, to which Steve assures him it’s fine, and that Nat has offered to bring burgers by anyway.

So that’s what Bucky walks into- Steve and Nat, eating burgers and watching some obscure movie that he knows they like, all artsy and introspective. He kisses both their cheeks, and then goes to take a warm shower. It’s getting colder every day, and yeah, Bucky loves autumn. But the cold seeps into his bones and makes itself a permanent residence. He just wants to be warm as much as he can.

He tugs off his clothes and stands under warm spray, letting the warm water out an ease to his chilled frame. Bucky’s not sure how much time goes by, but it must be enough because he’s brought back into his thoughts when Steve knocks at the door.

“Babe, you okay in there?” He calls, making Bucky blush.

“Yeah! Sorry, I’m getting out. Gimme two minutes.” He rushes to wash his body and his hair and then gets out, the warm water giving him a head rush as he steps out. Blinking, he lets the feeling pass and then dries off. Tiredness hits him like a brick wall, which isn’t a surprise since he’s gotten roughly five hours of sleep in twenty four hours. By the time he’s dressed, he also realizes his paper is due tomorrow and he’s still got a page to go. Fuck.

“Nice of you to finally join us,” Natasha snarks, munching on a fry.  Bucky rolls his eyes and steals one from the box on her lap, then scoots her so he can sit between her and Steve.

“Sorry, needed to shower. Darce is sick, and I got rained on,” he explains, stealing another fry and then a sip of Steve’s coke.

“ _Gross_. Now shush, we’re getting to the good part,” she says, patting his hair.

****************

**October 20th**

Bucky stays up till three am finishing his paper. Nat had stayed till midnight, finally huffing that she needed to go because the next morning was an early class for her. Bucky could sympathize. When he wakes up at seven, Steve is up and changing. He’s got his one tougher class, his architecture one, so Bucky hugs him tight before he goes, pressing kisses all over his face.

“I might leave Thursday after my last test, to go to Boston. That way I have an extra night with Ma. You’ll come Friday?” Steve asks as he makes sure he has his right books.

“Yeah, that’s probably what’ll happen,” Bucky nods. He knows it’s a whole week away, but he still feels his chest ache with the thought of not sleeping against Steve for a night.

“Okay. I’ll see you later today? I think we both have an hour for lunch if you want,” Steve smiles his golden smile, and it makes Bucky melt.

“A lunch date with Steve Rogers? How’d I get so lucky?”

Steve blushes and bats him away playfully, kissing him one last time before walking out to go to class.

Bucky gets ready slowly, finally tired from all the things going on the past few weeks. He’s grateful tomorrow is Saturday, which means cuddling up with Steve, no classwork or anything else to focus on. He walks out of his and Steve’s bedroom and into the shared living room, waving at Tony, who’s chowing down on cereal and tinkering with a robotic somethingorother.

“Morning! Thank fuck today is Friday,” he says softly, pulling out a glass bottle of Starbucks coffee. Tony nods, rubbing his face.

“Yeah, I think my body is finally giving out. Too much happening,” Tony sniffles, coughing a little into his arm. Bucky pauses and looks at the man, before backing away a little.

“If you’re getting sick, stay in your room. You know the drill Stark,” he says, mostly in a motherly way, rather than in a rude way. But it’s true. They do this every year.

“Yeah, I know. …will you bring me soup on your lunch break? Pretty please?” Tony asks, making himself look sad and pathetic. It works.

“Yeah, I can do that. Please rest? We don’t need you passing out again like last winter,” Bucky sighs, feeling exhaustion settle into his bones.

Tony nods and stands, disposing of the half empty bowl of cereal. Bucky sends Bruce a text to tell him to get his boyfriend some tissues and flu medicine, and then sends a text to his own boyfriend.

**Bucky** : Tony’s sick :( I told him I’d bring him soup during my break. Can I make it up to you by bringing you food too? And then making you dinner tonight?

**Steven** ❤️: Oh no :/ you’re such a good friend babe. Aw, you don’t have to do that, but you know I’d never turn down anything from you. Dinner sounds wonderful. I love you.

**Bucky** : Love you too sweetheart. I’ll see you during your lunch break to drop off something good.

********************

**October 25th**

Bucky can do this. He can get through today, tomorrow and Friday morning. He can get through five midterms. He has to.

He kind of feels like he’s drowning. The past few days have been gloomy and wet, thanks to a storm off the coast. It’s cold and Steve’s been busy with his own midterms, plus he leaves tomorrow for Boston.

Bucky’s always promised himself he’d never be a clingy boyfriend. But for some reason, the idea of not seeing Steve much today, and then him leaving tomorrow is making him feel numb. His chest feels like it’s caving in. He feels like he’s going to fail his midterms.

Taking a shaky breath, he walks out of his Russian lit class, not even realizing Natasha is following. The midterm wasn’t awful, but he still feels worried. Nat catches up to him and grabs his arm.

“James! What the fuck, I’ve been saying your name for the past two minutes…” she frowns, and it only deepens when she gets a good look at him.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I swear. I’m just…tired. And Steve leaves tomorrow and our schedules have been kind of crazy,” he explains, which makes her nod.

“Alright, well, when’s your next midterm?”

He thinks a moment. “I have my neurochem at one today and then have two tomorrow and one Friday,” Bucky speaks, feeling a headache start to dull his senses.

“Alright, after your midterms tomorrow, let’s go to the mall.”

The mall is the last place he wants to go. He starts to groan, but Nat cuts in before he can protest.

“You need to get your mind off everything. Steve will be gone after you finish anyway. You’ll need a distraction.”

Bucky sighs and knows he’s lost this battle. They step back out into the cold air and he brings his jacket tighter to himself, shivering all the same

“You need a heavier jacket,” Nat chastises, shaking her red hair. He shrugs and rubs his eyes. The beginnings of this headache are starting to settle in, right behind his eyes. All he really wants to do is close them and sleep it off. He might try to, before the next midterm.

They continue to walk deeper into the campus, and Bucky finally looks over.

“Fine, we can go,” he gives Nat a tiny smile. She’s one of his closest friends, and the idea of letting her down makes him really upset. So mall it is.

Bucky parts ways with Nat, walking down to the dining hall. He’s not particularly hungry, but he knows he needs to get something so he doesn’t pass out from low blood sugar. He gets in line at the Chick-fil-a, waiting quietly. Soup sounds kind of nice, and it could warm him up. He’s two people away from ordering when Bruce walks up to him, looking frazzled.

“Bucky! Hey! I’m already late to my midterm. Is there any way you can bring Tony some food? The nurse said he still can’t leave the apartment and I told him I’d bring him something.” The look on Bruce’s face is desperate.

No.

“Yeah, sure. No worries Bruce, I’ll make sure he doesn’t die,” Bucky jokes, making sure to smile. He loves helping people, and he definitely doesn’t want Tony to starve. It just means he won’t have time to eat, himself. He’s got a granola bar in his backpack though, so he’s covered.

Bucky gets the soup he had wanted, along with a large fry and a coke, and takes it back to their apartment. Tony had been taken to the university’s on campus urgent care three days ago and had been diagnosed with the flu. The poor guy has been pretty much listless and miserable since.

“Hey, Tony?” Bucky calls as he walks in, locking the door behind him. He listens but gets no response, so he makes his way back to Tony and Bruce’s room. Tony in lying in bed, curled up under covers, the tv playing some science documentary.

“Hey, Bruce was running late, so I brought you some soup and fries. How are you feeling?” Bucky asks gently, noticing the dark circles under the mechanics eyes, how he was still pale and flushed.

“Like shit Roo, but it’s alright. Thank you for bringing me food,” Tony says in between coughs, trying to contain them.

“No problem Tony, seriously. I hope you start feeling better soon. The teachers are letting you make up midterms right?”

Tony nods, rubbing his face. “Perks of being me I guess.”

Bucky laughs. At least Tony’s still his sarcastic, narcissistic self. He tells Tony he’ll be around for another hour or so, and to let him know if he needs anything. He steps out of the room and goes to the kitchen, snagging some applesauce from the fridge. Heading to his and Steve’s room, he’s hit with the fact Steve leaves tomorrow. Again. Swallowing down the melancholy feeling, he opens the applesauce, sits on the bed and tries to forget.

Bucky manages to doze off for a little over half an hour, wake up, refresh his face with this mist Nat gave him a while back, and get out the door for his last midterm of the day without being late. The midterm itself takes just over an hour to get done, and by three o’clock, he’s back at the apartment, helping Steve pack for their long weekend.

“Just take my sweatshirt. You like that one more than yours anyway,” Bucky suggests to Steve, who’s stuffing jeans into his duffel bag.

“Fine, but only if you wear it until I leave tomorrow,” Steve smiles playfully. Bucky laughs and kisses him, holding him close.

“You’re lucky you’re so perfect,” he teases back, nuzzling against Steve’s neck. The blond makes a breathy noise and it makes Bucky’s mouth connect to Steve’s collar bone, biting down just hard enough to hurt a little.

It takes Steve much longer to pack, thanks to the blow jobs exchanged between them. By the time it’s nearing five, both men are sweaty from sex, hair messy and eyes blown. “We should shower. Then maybe we can go out to eat? Get out of the apartment a bit?” Bucky suggests, playing with Steve’s fingers as they lay on the bed.

“Mm, that sounds nice. We’ll be with family pretty much all weekend. Nice to have some alone time,” Steve nods, nuzzling a little closer. Bucky pulls them both up after another few minutes, guiding them to the bathroom. They shower off, get back in warm clothes and then head to the Diner, deciding on something familiar and homey, rather than fancy and upscale.

***************

**October 26th**

Bucky gets into Natasha’s car, cranking the heat as soon as the door is shut. She raises an eyebrow at him but doesn’t say anything, which he’s thankful for. He’s mentally exhausted from his two midterms, and while he won’t admit it, he’s thankful for Nat’s badgering. If he’d stayed home, he would have wallowed in loneliness.

They discuss their tests as Nat drives, and finally Bucky lets the hot air back off when Nat looks like she’s going to die from heat stroke. He’s still cold.

His eyes are slipping shut as they pull into the mall parking lot. He jerks himself awake and ignores the way his body protests as he gets out of the cozy vehicle. His whole body has this slightly achy heaviness to it, like if he lay down he wouldn’t be able to get back up. His throat’s sore, especially when he swallows. Deciding he probably just needs food and something to drink, he looks to Nat as they walk in.

“There’s a smoothie place here right?” He asks, clearing his throat quietly afterwards. The mall is cold and overly noisy, and he shuffles closer to his friend.

“Yeah, you want something? It’s on me, since I dragged you here,” she gives a smile and he wraps an arm around her as they navigate the crowds.

“Yeah, I was thinking about one. Thanks Nat,” he smiles. Even if Nat has a rough exterior to most people, Bucky knows what she’s really like.

She leads them to the smoothie place, ordering a large açaí and berry smoothie for him, and a peach for herself. She pays and then curls back into him as they wait.

“So where are we going first? I know I need a new jacket. What did you want to look at?” He asks, taking a sip of his drink, soothing his throat.

“I wanted to look at a new leather jacket, and possibly gloves,” Nat admits, walking them down towards the Wilson Leather store. Bucky hums and sips his smoothie, his prosthetic tugging at his shoulder a little. He’ll fix it when they try things on.

They walk in and Bucky lets Nat look around as he finds a nice black leather jacket that’s got a grey jacket on the inside, along with a hood. He tries on a medium, looking at himself in the mirror. He looks tired, but he tries to focus on the jacket instead of himself.

“It looks good. You should get it. It’s cozy, plus Steve will love it,” Nat appears behind him, tugging on his hair playfully. He gives her a fond smile and nods.

“I think I’m going to. What about you? Find anything good?” He asks, taking another sip of his smoothie.

“Mm, I’m going to get the gloves. No jacket though. They don’t have what I want. Maybe a different store will have something,” she says, grabbing the jacket when he takes it off. “You should get Steve a new Pats jersey for Christmas. He said something about wanting one,” she adds.

“You’re the best,” Bucky says, tucking that info away. He goes and pays for his new jacket and then slips it on, deciding that the cold drink has made him even colder. Nat gives him another look but he ignores it.

They walk through different stores and browse around for a while. While in the bookstore, Bucky picks up a new journal for Steve, and a book he’s been wanting but not buying. It’ll make Steve happy and it’s not expensive.

By the time they’ve gone through most of the stores, Bucky’s ready to crawl back into bed and sleep for the next twelve hours. His throat’s back to hurting, and his head has an odd, almost fuzzy feeling encasing it. He knows Natasha can tell something’s up because she takes them back to the car and keeps the music off as they drive back to campus.

He gets into his apartment, says hello to Bruce and Tony, eats a bowl of cereal and then passes out around eight, too exhausted for much else. That should have been a warning signal to everyone.

*************

**October 27th**

He goes through his last midterm on autopilot. He knows he didn’t do well. Though he’d slept almost eleven hours, he’s exhausted. He feels achy and chilled, he’s getting all stuffy and congested, and he’s starting to worry he’s coming down with something. As he walks back to the apartment, he has to freeze, pulling his sweater up over his face to catch a pair of itchy sounding sneezes.

“ _H’kstchh_!  _Ihxs **tC** hh_!”

He wipes at his nose and then sniffles, eyes tired and senses dull. He doesn’t have time for this. Bucky makes it to the apartment without incident, but as soon as he walks in, the temperature change gets at his sinuses and he snaps his face into his shoulder.

“ _Huh’ixschh_!  _ **Snfsnf**_!  _Ishieew_!”

“ _Bless_ you!”

Bucky jumps at the voice and turns to see Bruce looking worriedly over at him from the living room sofa.

“Uh.. _ **snf**_! Thanks, sorry…” he mumbles, snagging a tissue from the side table. He presses it to his nose and sniffles a few more times before blowing, though it doesn’t do much good. Bucky sighs and tosses the tissue into the trash and then goes to wash his hands in his and Steve’s bathroom. He looks at himself and sighs.

He’s a little pale, but it’s barely noticeable. There are dark circles under his eyes and he looks more than a little run down. Wonderful. He turns to leave but his nostrils give a twitch around the edges, and he scrambles to grab another tissue, pressing it to his face.

“ _Ih’gxXT_!  _Ihkstch_!  _huh’Ihh_.. _ **snf**_!  _Ixschh’uh_!”

He scrunches his nose up, still caught in the middle of needing to sneeze, but the feeling falls and he lets his breath out. He’s forgotten how sensitive his nose can get when he’s sick. Steve always teases him but then ends up getting all fond about how cute his sneezes are. As if sneezes can be cute.

Rubbing his nose roughly with the now crumpled tissue, he stuffs it in his pocket and then rubs his eyes. He’s got things to do. He moves out of their bathroom and into the conjoined bedroom, grabbing his laptop and stuffing it into his backpack. Looking around, he decides to put a few extra tissues into his jacket pocket before picking his duffel bag up.

When he swallows, as he walks down the steps towards the parking lot, he notices how sore his throat is again, achy until he swallows and then sharp and jabbing. He opens the trunk of his small black jeep and puts his things in, closing it quickly so he can get in the car and warm up. As he lets the car’s heater work, he also tries to pick something to listen to. He scrolls through his podcasts and is about to select one when Steve’s face lights up the screen.

“Hello?”

“Bucky! Hey honey! How was the midterm?” Steve’s voice is bright and happy, and it’s enough to warm Bucky up for a second, the idea of getting to see his boyfriend soon. He sniffles and hums thoughtfully.

“Was okay, didn’t do great but,” he shrugged, rubbing at his nose gently, trying to evade the sneezes that were slowly building in his head. His nostrils flare, damp with oncoming illness but he pushes the feeling back, listening to Steve talk about his day with his Ma. It’s another two minutes before the tickle in his head becomes too much and he pulls out one of the tissues from his pocket, pressing it snugly up to his itchy, runny nose.

“ _Ehxshhew_!  _ **Snfsnf**_!  _Ih’kkst_!  _Oh_ …excuse me,” Bucky interrupts Steve, muffling the sneezes into the tissues.

“ _Bless_ you sweetheart,” Steve murmurs. “Anyway, I can’t wait to see you. Ma can’t wait to see you either. Have you left yet?”

“Yeah, I’m about to leave. In the car now actually,” he explains, coughing a little afterwards. “I’m gonna go babe, but I’ll see you in two hours,” he smiles.

“Okay babe! We’ll see you soon. Ma’s making you some good food,” Steve says gently. “I love you.”

“Love you too sweetheart. See you soon,” he promises and hangs up. Bucky sighs and rubs his face a minute before he leaves, hoping it doesn’t take too long.

******************

It takes the better half of three hours to get to Steve’s Ma’s place in Boston. He hits a small patch of traffic, but then he stops to get some tea and more tissues. He’s definitely coming down with something, that’s for sure. He feels much more coldish, as he drives and lets the symptoms build. By the time he’s pulling into Sarah’s driveway, his nose is just the right combination of ticklish and runny that he’s almost constantly sniffling. His head hurts, his throat’s sore, his body feels heavy and achy. He wants to curl up with Steve, drink more tea and have him rub his back a little.

He gets out of the car, grabbing his bags and heading to the door. Bucky knocks and as he waits, he can feel another tickle blooming in his sinuses. He tries to stop it, rubbing at his pink nose roughly, but it doesn’t help and he ends up muffling two sneezes into the crook of his arm just as Steve opens the door.

“ _ihxstchh_!  _ **Snf**_!  _Huh’pmxsch_!” He looks up and sees Steve standing there, eyebrows knitted together.

“Bless you Buck, you feeling alright?” He asks, shutting the door once Bucky walks in.

“Yeah, fi _hhh_ ne Stevie… _ **snf**_! Just… _hihh’H_ … _ishhew_!  _Ah’xstchuh_!  _Oh_ …” Bucky pulls another tissue to his face when his nostrils give a damp twitch. His face crumples into the sneezes, itchy and coldish.

“Sounds like someone’s catching a cold,” Steve murmurs, hugging Bucky close, pressing kisses to his cheek. He stops and lets his mouth linger on his skin

“You feel a little warm, Poor guy,” Steve adds, rubbing his back. Bucky flushes pink and shrugs. Sarah walks over and beams, pulling Bucky into a big hug.

“Sweet boy, how are you?”

“I’m good Ma, missed you,” Bucky murmurs, hugging back before finally letting go, coughing softly into his arm.

“You look worn out, like you’re coming down with something. Why don’t you and Steve go up and rest before dinner?”

Steve takes that cue to grab Bucky’s things and lead him up the stairs to his old childhood bedroom. It’s not like he’d left it when first going to college, but it’s still nice and Bucky can imagine a little Steve playing superheroes on the floor with his action figures.

“How long have you been feeling low honey?” Steve asks, getting them both on the bed, taking Bucky’s jacket off for him. Bucky shrugs and sniffles against his wrist, sighing.

“Uh…just since this afternoon honestly. I was tired  _yehh_ - _ **snf**_! Yesterday but today w _ahh’H!_   _Hihh_.. _ihksst_!  _Ihs **tCH** h_!  ** _Snnnf_**! Gosh,  _sorry_. Today I’ve actually felt kind of bad,” he explains, turning from Steve to sneeze into the hem of his shirt. His pink nose twitches again and he rubs at it roughly, all sensitive and ticklish.

Steve pulls him back close, rubbing the pad of his thumb against Bucky’s cheek.

“Your throat hurt?”

Bucky nods, eyes drooping.

“Are you achy? Chilled? You seem so sleepy…”

Bucky nods again, pressing his face into Steve’s shoulder. “Just feel like I’m getting a cold,” he finally supplies, making Steve make a noise of sympathy.

“Poor thing. We’ll get you feeling better. We can lounge around the house for the next few days.”

That’s what makes Bucky look up, frowning.

“Steve, we’re supposed to go see your friends tomorrow. There’s no way we’re cancelling that because I’m coming down with a little cold. I’ll be fine,” Bucky harrumphs, brushing hair out of his face. He doesn’t feel terrible, it’s more just annoying, really.

“How about this,” Steve brings him a little closer, slotting their legs together. “How about we see how you feel tomorrow?”

“You’re being fussy,” Bucky replies, eyes fluttering shut. Up close, Steve watches Bucky’s nostrils twitch damply, watches his guy struggle to fight the feeling back, and then watches him fail and quickly tug a tissue up to his face, pulling away from Steve.

“ _Ihgstchew_!  _ **Snfsnf**_!  ** _Snnf_**!  _Hih’eishiew_!  _Ish_!  _Hh’txsch_!” He lets the small fit out into the tissue, feeling Steve’s grip tighten a little. Bucky snuffles wetly as the fit subsides, eyes heavy and tired.

“Just rest babe. I’ll wake you up for dinner.”

Bucky almost tells him not to, that he’s not hungry in the least bit and everything tastes the same anyway, but decides against it. He doesn’t want to ruin the weekend for Steve, who’s been so excited for it all.

“Kay,” he says instead, resting his face against Steve’s shoulder, as his boyfriend turns the tv on low, putting it to some old tv show. Bucky falls asleep quickly, body exhausted.

**************

Steve wakes up Bucky barely an hour later, telling him Sarah’s made some chicken pie for them. It’s the most appealing thing Bucky can think of and it actually makes him hungry. They get up and Bucky goes to the bathroom, blowing his nose and washing up, not wanting to germify Sarah’s whole house.

They walk down together and Sarah smiles at the two men. “Alright, chicken pie, green beans and applesauce.”

Bucky’s eyes light up at applesauce. It’s his favorite food when he’s sick. He sits down next to Steve, Sarah across from them, and starts eating slowly. It hurts to swallow, but sipping water helps and he ends up eating three quarters of what he’s served. Steve eats two helpings of everything, gushing about how much he loves this meal- Bucky loves how much of a mama’s boy Steve is.

Despite Sarah’s protests, Bucky helps clean off the table and load the dishes into the washer. Steve makes an ice cream sundae and grabs two spoons, to which Bucky eats a small bit as they sit on the couch. Bucky curls up close, a blanket draped over him thanks to Sarah and her kind heart. He watches Jurassic Park quietly, the only noises besides the tv being Steve’s chewing and Bucky’s sniffles.

It’s nearing nine o’clock when Steve decides it’s time to get in bed. Bucky is trying to stay awake, but his head keeps falling and jerking back up and Steve feels his heart ache for how sick and tired his guy is. He understands Bucky isn’t seriously ill, at least not yet, but he still doesn’t feel well and that’s so rare. Steve loves getting to take care of his boyfriend, it’s nice and makes him feel even more in love.

He looks at Bucky, all soft with his barely shoulder length hair half in his face, cozy sweater on. His poor nose looks so pink and sensitive and he gives a tiny shiver when Steve puts a hand on his shoulder. “Honey, let’s go upstairs…”

Bucky stirs and blinks, looking far off for a second before he presses his hands, flesh and bionic, up to his face, shielding Steve from his germs.

“ _Exieshhew_!  _Huhh_ … _itscheiew_!  _ **Snfsnfsnf**_. Oh… _excuse_ …m- _me_..” The second sneeze is shivery and it makes Bucky curl into himself, feeling stuffy headed and itchy.

“Bless you,” Steve gets him up and they make their way back upstairs after saying goodnight to Sarah. Bucky pauses in the hallway and Steve stops too, wrapping an arm around Bucky as he lets out an itchy sounding triple.

“ _Uhh’ **gx** stchh_!  _Ihh’hchhew_! Bl _ehh’ihh._.. _hihstchh_! Bless me,” Bucky says, voice a little hoarse as he rubs at his nose with the cuff of his sweater, only irritating it farther. Steve steers him to the bedroom, handing him a tissue.

“ _Uhigstchh_!  _Ixstchh_!  _Uhhishhew_!” The last three sneezes leave Bucky blowing his nose and coughing into the crumpled tissue, sighing.

“I always forget how  _sensitive_ you are when you’re sick. Sweet boy,” Steve murmurs, changing out of his clothes into just a T-shirt. Bucky takes his prosthetic off and pulls on a long sleeve T-shirt of Steve’s, before walking to the bathroom to brush his teeth.  He knows tomorrow is going to be a long day and wants to get as much sleep as he can.

***************

**October 28th**

Bucky manages to downplay how shitty he feels, well enough to convince both Steve and Sarah he’s alright, and that going to the store will be fine. He knows Steve wants to spend as much time with his Ma as possible, and Bucky doesn’t mind spending time with her either. So he lets Steve sit in the front seat, himself in the back while Sarah drives them to the store so she can get the food she needs to cook.

He’s thankful it’s just across the street. He doesn’t need to be carsick on top of how sick he already feels.

As they all step out, Bucky rubs at his nose through the sweatshirt he’s wearing, technically Steve’s. His nose is running and stuffy and no matter how much he blows his nose it doesn’t help. It just makes him more sensitive and ticklish.

He walks with Steve and Sarah into the BiLo, managing to stifle a pair of itchy sneezes, quiet enough he thinks Sarah doesn’t hear.

“ _Ihgxt_!  _ **Snf**_!  _Nngxt’uh_!”

Steve hears though, presses a hand to the middle of his back and walks a little closer. Bucky just sniffles at him and gives him a small, reassuring smile.

“ _M’fine_ Stevie. So fussy,” he whispers, still looking kind of bleary and definitely sick. They follow Sarah around, helping her get the things she needs to make her beef stew. Steve leads Bucky away a while in, taking him over to the pharmacy connected.

“We need to get you some decongestants, maybe something for your poor throat,” Steve murmurs, pressing a kiss to his boyfriend’s forehead. Definitely warm.

“Mm, anything cherry flavored is okay, just not grape,” he says, leaning into Steve’s arm, feeling drowsy. Steve looks around for a bit and decides on some Tylenol severe cold and cherry flavored cough drops. They meet back up with Sarah and all check out.

“Are you boys still going to Sam’s later?” She asks, perking both boys heads up.

“Yes.”

“Probably not.”

Steve frowns when Bucky nods. “Babe, no. You’re too sick, I don’t want to make you go and be miserable.”

“Rogers, nice try pal, but I’m fine. It’s a dumb cold. I wanna see your friends again. I like them. If I feel too bad I’ll tell you, but until then, I’m fine.” Bucky huffs, getting annoyed. Sarah gives Steve a look and he sighs.

“Fine.”

“I’m sure Bucky is capable of taking care of himself Steve,” Sarah says softly. Steve wants to argue. Because yeah, okay, Bucky can take care of himself, but he won’t if it means inconveniencing anyone around. Two years ago Bucky had been seriously sick with strep throat, to the point he needed IV fluids and a stronger than normal dose of a fever reducer, but hadn’t said anything because it had been Steve’s birthday.

Bucky slides into the backseat and stays quiet the whole way home. Steve wonders if it’s because he’s upset or feeling worse. The rest of the day goes smoothly though; Sarah cooks while Steve and Bucky curl up on the couch, watching scary movies.

When the time rolls around to go to Sam’s, Bucky feels not too bad, in all honesty. The medicine is working and even though he’s still congested, he doesn’t want to scream. They roll up to Sam and Riley’s cozy home a few minutes past five. They notice Thor and Jane are there, as well as Diana and Trevor.

Bucky walks in with Steve, smiling when they’re greeted with aloud hellos and hugs. They sit down on the empty love seat, squished together but comfortable.

“How you guys been?” Sam asks, handing them both sodas and some chips on plates with dip. Bucky pops the tab on the drink and sips it, watching Steve interact with his friends.

See, Bucky is friendly and kind, sweet and charming, but he’s also not very extroverted. If he knows someone well, like Tony or Nat, then he’ll come out of his shell. With Steve’s friends back home, he’s getting more used to them, but he’s still a bit shy and happy to let Steve take the lead. Especially when he’s got muted cold symptoms and it hurts a little to talk.

Thor starts talking to him though, happy to listen to his and Tony’s antics and what Bruce has been doing lately. Thor graduated last year and was close friends with all of them.

They sit and talk, eating and drinking for a couple of hours before Riley perks up.

“Sammy, we should get the fire pit going. We could do s’mores,” he suggests, which Steve brightens at.

“Well Rogers is over here looking like a damn puppy Sam, now we have to,” Bucky jokes, making them all laugh.

It takes a few minutes to set up but soon they’re all trickling out to the backyard. Bucky’s still inside, pulling his sweatshirt back on, looking around curiously. Jane walks up and smiles.

“You okay?”

“Do you think they have a blanket I could use out there?” He asks, sniffling softly.

“I’m sure. That actually sounds nice, hold on…”

Jane walks out to the back and comes in a minute later, going to the back of the house before arriving with a pile of blankets.

“They were all jealous of your idea,” she teases, leading them both outside. There are large seats around the fire pit, and Bucky curls right up to Steve. The cold air is already making his nose run, and the smoke is tickling his sinuses a bit, making him stuffier. He sniffles and tries to ignore it, wrapping a soft red blanket around he and Steve.

They make s’mores and talk, a few drink some beers. Bucky sips his soda and lets himself relax against Steve. He’s fine until the temperature drops another few degrees. The low grade fever he’s been dealing with off an on is slowly coming back and his nose won’t stop running. The medicine is finally starting to wear off, he can feel it.

Rubbing at his nose, he sniffles and tries to fight the tickle that’s deep in his head, the kind that only ever happens when he’s got a cold, but it’s too overwhelming and he pulls out a couple of crumpled tissues from his jacket pocket and presses them to his nose, balled up in his hand.

“ _Eixshh_!  _ah’xsst_!  _Ih **’KGt** chh_!  _ **Snfsnfsnf**_! Excuse mbe,” he mumbles, mostly to himself. The sneezes make him congested and he can still feel more in the back of his head. The cold air definitely isn’t helping. He assumes Steve will look over, give him a silent question of if he wants to go home. But he doesn’t, too caught up in a conversation with Sam.

Bucky shivers a little. He should be able to suck it up. Steve is getting to see his best friends and Bucky can’t be the one to ruin it. He coughs into his wrist, rubs his nose a little more and then stands, deciding he should probably see if they have any medicine inside. He needs to be able to get through tonight without sniffling and sneezing every second.

Going inside, he pokes around the kitchen, seeing if he can find a medicine cabinet. While there’s no such luck, he does find a few different types of tea, so he gets an earl grey bag out and pours some water. He’s not sure how long he’s been inside, when Riley comes in, rubbing his hands together for warmth.

“Oh hey Bucky. Making tea?” The man asks with a smile. Bucky, who feels like a child being caught doing something bad, blushes and nods

“I hope thatds okay..” He says softly, and Riley’s brows knit together a moment before nodding.

“Of course it is man. Sounds like you’re catching a cold. Sam just got over one, this time of year sucks for that kind of thing,” he says, pulling out a large mug for his friend. Bucky takes it and shrugs.

“Steve’s been all fussy today about it. Mby medicine is wearing off and I’mb just..tired,”

Bucky shrugs, yawning into his sleeve. Riley nods before disappearing, walking back a moment later with a bottle of Tylenol.

“Sam finished up the NyQuil but we have some pain medicine for your throat if you want it,” the taller man offers. Bucky’s face softens and he takes it, pouring two into his hand.

“Thangk you,” he murmurs, pouring the tea in the mug and letting the bag steep. When it’s done, he pops the pills in his mouth and swallows them gingerly with the hot tea.

“We should get back out there,” Bucky says after another minute of basking in the warmth inside. Riley nods and follows the man back out. Steve wraps an arm around his guy when he sits down.

“You got tea? Good. How’re you feeling?” He asks Bucky, running a hand through his hair.

“Riley gave mbe Tylenol, I’m alrighdt.” He promises, snuffling into his shoulder. Steve kisses his cheek and lets it be. They continue to talk for another hour or so, until Bucky’s nose won’t leave him alone anymore.

“ _Eishhhew_!  _ **Snf**_!  _Hihhh’HH_ - _hi’tschh_!  _Ishh_!  _ehxchh_!  _God_ , sorry..” Bucky croaks out. Diana and Trevor are leaving and Steve is standing up, offering his hand.

“Bless you sweetheart. I think it’s probably time to leave too,” he announces. Jane rubs Bucky’s back, telling him to get some rest. Sam sympathizes with him, assuring he’ll be over it soon enough.

“Bring back the blanket whenever. You can keep it for the ride home,” Riley says gently to Bucky, who looks surprised. They say thank you’s and goodbyes and then Bucky and Steve are back on the road, driving back to Sarah’s house.

“Have fun love?” Bucky asks, looking over at his handsome boyfriend, who looks happy and sleepy but in a good way. Steve nods, reaching over and placing a hand on Bucky’s left leg.

“I did. Thank you for coming. I know you’re feeling kind of low, but,” he trails off, leaning over to press  light to kiss his cheek.

“Anything for you, punk. Besides. I had fun too,” Bucky promises, still snuggled up in the red warm blanket. He lets himself doze as they drive back to the house, snoring softly by the time they park. Steve takes a quick photo of Bucky, of how sweet and soft he is, how he went to his boyfriend’s friends’ house even though he was sick.

***************

**October 29th**

It’s on Sunday that Bucky starts to feel worse. He wakes up dizzy and utterly sick. His sinuses are throbbing, he can barely swallow. His ears ache, and his body feels chilled and foggy.

He opens his eyes and feels more than sees that Steve isn’t in the bed. He should get up, go find Steve, curl up with him and let his boyfriend take care of him. He should. But he feels too absolutely awful to do anything but lie there and hope he’ll pass out again soon.

Bucky’s coughs a little and is hit with how sore his throat is too. Great. Sniffling softly, he rubs at his face with his flesh hand. Slowly sitting up, congestion shifts and his nose itches. He presses his face into the sleeve of the sweatshirt he’s wearing, sucking in a raspy, tired breath.

“ _Hiegtschh_ … _ **snfsnf**_!  _Eixschhuh_!”

Standing slowly, he feels more dizzy as congestion shifts and as he swallows he winces, noting how sore everything is. He walks down to the kitchen, where he hears Steve and Sarah, giving a small, exhausted smile when he sees them.

Steve is leaning against counter and when he sees his guy, he’s instantly up and over by him.

“Bucky, honey,” he murmurs, pressing a large palm to Bucky’s forehead. The smaller man leans into the touch, feeling too low to do much else.

“I’ll get a thermometer,” Sarah says, wanting to help. She scurries off to the back part of the house while Steve leads Bucky to the couch.

“How ya feelin’ ace?” Steve asks gently, rubbing Bucky’s back as he coughs softly into his arm.

“Awful,” he whispers, sniffling softly. “Everything hurts, especially my face and ears and throat,” He rasps, eyes drooping. Sarah walks over while she’s cleaning the tip of the instrument off with a alcohol wipe.

“Open up sweetheart,” She coaxes, and Bucky does as he’s asked, letting her stick it under his tongue. He keeps it there until it beeps.

“100.9. No wonder you feel so bad,” Steve says, feeling his chest ache. “You want some applesauce?” He adds as an afterthought, knowing they should get something in his stomach.

“I guess,” Bucky nods, coughing again.

“You said your face hurts?” Sarah asks as Steve goes to get him some food. He nods and then scrubs at his nose a little.

“Probably have a sinus infection. You’ll need antibiotics. The doctors will be open tomorrow unless you’d like to go to the urgent care,” she speaks softly, pulling a blanket out to drape over him. Bucky shifts so he’s lying down.

“I’ll let Stevie decide,” Bucky replies, yawning. It’s another couple of minutes before Steve comes back with a plate of toast and some applesauce, along with water. Steve looks at his sick boyfriend, who looks so sleepy and stuffy and like he’s about to fall asleep.

“Baby, got you some food. You need to eat a little,” He nudges Bucky’s foot and then moves closer. Bucky just hums and then looks at Steve a little playfully before opening his mouth.

“You’re something else Buck,” Steve says, but it’s fond and he doesn’t mind spooning some applesauce into Bucky’s mouth. He takes it and swallows, wincing slightly before opening his mouth again.

“What am I, a Mama bird?” Steve jokes, spooning more. Bucky looks at him and cracks a smile.

“Cheep cheep,” he laughs a little. Steve rolls his eyes but laughs too, kissing his too warm forehead and then continuing his actions. Bucky manages half the applesauce and a piece of toast before he’s too tired and not hungry anymore.

Steve stays close the rest of the afternoon. He keeps an arm against Bucky even as he sleeps, watches tv until he wakes up again.

“Hey babe. Still miserable?” Steve asks when Bucky shifts so he’s closer to him.

“Yeah, think I wanna go to the urgent care,” Bucky decides. His breath hitches and the edges of his pink nose twitch. He aims himself away from Steve and presses his arm to his face.

“ _Ihhkstch_!  _ **Snfsnfsnnf**_ … _eishhhew_!  _Uh’ihgxt_!”

“Bless you,” Steve pets at Bucky’s hair, kissing his shoulder. “Okay baby, let me grab some shoes okay? Then we’ll go.”

Bucky nods and lets himself doze as Steve gets ready. By the time they’re walking into the lobby, Steve’s already checked them in online and all they have to do is sit down. J.Barnes appears on a monitor in the corner, underneath ‘waiting’. There’s only one other person waiting, so Steve’s sure they won’t be waiting long.

It takes about thirty minutes to get Bucky back, and when they’re finally done with everything, he has a prescription for Augmentin XR, one for stronger cough medicine, and one for a nasal spray. He’s got a sinus infection and a double ear infection, plus he’s an easy candidate for pneumonia if he’s not careful.

Instead of getting soup on the way home, Steve takes him straight back to the house and lets his Ma go pick some up after she offers, worried about her second son, also assuring she can pick up his meds too. Bucky curls into Steve and lets himself fall asleep, too tired for much else.

*****************

**October 30th**

They drive back to Amherst, getting back in from Boston midday. At six o’clock, the Stark’s annual Halloween festival starts, and Bucky’s trying to get himself feeling better enough to go. He doesn’t want to miss it, plus Tony will never let him live it down if he doesn’t go. He still feels pretty bad. The doctor had told him it could take 24 hours for him to start feeling the effects of the antibiotic.

He’s laying on the couch when Tony and Bruce come in.

“Roo, Cap, you’re back!” Tony grins, walking over. Steve shushes him slightly, looking to where Bucky is, barely awake.

“He’s really sick,” Steve explains and Tony frowns.

“I got him sick…” Tony says dejectedly but then Bucky’s eyes open and he shakes his head.

“Not the flu. Stupid sinus infection and ear infections,” he promises, rubbing his face tiredly. Tony makes a small noise and then pets his hair.

“You need to relax. Don’t worry about coming to the thing tonight,” he assures and Bucky feels like he’s entered the twilight zone. Tony’s telling him not to come?

Steve smiles a little as the two walk into their bedroom. Out on the couch, Steve rubs Bucky’s back, kissing his hair.

“Sleep handsome boy. I got you.”

And so he does, curled into the warmth Steve is emitting. He nods off, thankful his boyfriend takes such good care of him.


End file.
